Tape dispensers are generally known in the art but there has been continuing effort to create tape dispensers which are easy to use, convenient and inexpensive. Convenience and ease of use of a tape dispenser can be enhanced by locating the tape dispenser within easy reach of a work space. Convenience is also enhanced if tape can be dispensed from the tape dispenser using only one hand. This allows a person using a tape dispenser to dispense tape without having to remove both hands and/or their eyes from a work piece.
Many tape dispensers currently on the market require two hands to operate. This forces a user to remove both hands from a work piece each time a piece of tape is desired. Other attempts to address the need for one handed dispensing of tape include tape dispensers with heavy bases and hand held tape dispensers. A tape dispenser with a heavy base allows tape to be pulled from the dispenser with one hand without moving the base. However, a tape dispenser with a heavy base must be picked up and moved as the user moves from work space to work space. Otherwise the tape dispenser does not remain within easy and convenient reach.
Some hand held tape dispensers allow one handed use. U.S. patents disclosing hand-held tape dispensers include: U.S. Pat. No. 1,892,544 to Wanders; U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,613 to Casey; U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,557 to Kingery et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,180 to Revesloot; U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,768 to Soderberg; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,332 to Dretzka et al. These dispensers are positioned against a work piece thereby bringing a portion of the tape into contact with the work piece. Then the tape dispenser is moved across the work piece and tape is dispensed. Hand-held tape dispensers are particularly useful for dispensing wide tape onto boxes to be shipped but are less suitable for other types of work. They are especially difficult to use with small work pieces or where a very small piece of tape is required. Hand-held tape dispensers typically exert significant forces on a work piece in order to dispense tape. As the dispenser is moved across a work piece, the adhesive tape typically resists being unrolled, therefore significant force is exerted by the tape already adhered to the work piece. This is especially undesirable when wrapping gifts, as exertion of force on wrapping paper will either tear the paper or cause it to wrinkle in an unattractive manner. Hand-held tape dispensers must also be moved from work space to work space to remain within convenient reach. Also, a hand held tape dispenser requires the person to pick up the tape dispenser, use the tape dispenser to dispense tape, and replace the tape holder within convenient reach each time a piece of tape is desired. This type of tape dispenser can be inconvenient where the user repeatedly needs to dispense pieces of tape and thus must repeatedly pick up and put down the tape dispenser. Therefore, there is a need for a tape dispenser which remains within easy and convenient reach of a user as the user moves from work space to work space. There is also a need for a tape dispenser which eliminates the need to pick up and put down the tape dispenser.
Several United States patents are directed to tape dispensers designed to be clipped or otherwise attached to an article of clothing so that the tape dispenser remains with the user even if the user moves from place to place. U.S. Pat. No. 2,929,540 to Carey is directed to a tape dispenser designed to dispense a spool of tape and having a resilient clip on the backside of the dispenser so that the dispenser can be clipped to a belt. This invention is particularly designed for workers such as members of survey crews who periodically require tape and wish to have it near at hand. U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,955 to Tinkey is directed to a tape dispenser having a pair of slots in its backside so that a belt may be fed through the slots and the belt and dispenser can be worn around a person's waist. U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,925 to Ridenour discloses a tape dispenser which has a pair of clips allowing it to be clipped to an article of clothing such as a belt. Tape dispensers such as these which can be clipped to an article of clothing overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional tape dispensers. By having the tape dispenser attached to an article of clothing, the user has a tape dispenser with them as they move from place to place. By having the dispenser attached to part of their body, tape can be dispensed with only one hand since the dispenser is held stationary. This avoids necessity of repeatedly picking up the tape dispenser to use it. However, these designs still fall short of meeting the needs of some users. Positioning the tape dispenser on an article of clothing, especially near the waist of the user, places the tape dispenser in an inconvenient position for some tasks. For example, a user who is working with small items or wrapping gifts may not wish to reach as far as their waist. Also, if a person is working at a table of desk, it would be necessary for them to redirect their attention to an area where the dispenser is located in order to grip and dispense tape with one of their hands. This requires diverting their attention from a work piece long enough to locate, grip, dispense, and tear off a piece of tape. Also, if a person is sitting down, especially at a table or other work surface, their belt could be difficult to reach. This is especially true since the belt-mounted tape dispensers are designed primarily to be operated by a hand on the opposite side of the body. If the tape dispenser is mounted on the left side of the body, the user must reach across their body with their right hand to grip and dispense tape. This is both inconvenient and uncomfortable. Therefore, there is a need for a tape dispenser which stays with the person as they move from place to place but also is conveniently located so that the person does not have to redirect their attention or reach across their body to access the tape.
There have been some attempts to locate tape dispensers on a user's hands. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,230 to Oakes discloses a tape dispenser having finger gripping openings so that the tape dispenser can be worn on one or more fingers like a large piece of jewelry. Though evidently not patented, there is also a marketed tape dispenser which includes a non-adjustable band designed to extend across the palm of the user's hand, below the thumb, so that the tape dispenser is mounted on the back of the person's hand. These approaches locate the dispenser more conveniently, but still have several shortcomings. Both devices interfere with movement and use of the hand on which they are mounted. To use the devices, tape is dispensed from the dispenser using the hand on which the dispenser is not mounted. Dispensing the tape exerts a force against the hand and fingers on which the dispenser is mounted, thereby making it more difficult for the user to hold that hand still. This is problem especially where the hand on which the dispenser is mounted is being used to hold a work piece stationary in preparation for a piece of tape. Positioning a tape dispenser on a hand or fingers also may be uncomfortable for many users. Especially with the finger-mounted invention of Oakes, the mounting arrangements tend to interfere with the natural motion of the hand and the fingers. The hand-mounted device has a band which is not adjustable and therefore will not properly fit many people's hands. It also cannot be worn on a wrist since the mounted strap is designed to be worn only on the hand below the thumb.